Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Man faces charges after low-speed mobility scooter chase
A man riding a motorised wheelchair was apprehended following a low-speed police chase in Elyria, Ohio, on Monday.
Complaints had trickled in over the last few days after a man was spotted riding his mobility scooter on roads and into traffic, even keying vehicles as he went by.
On Monday, Elyria police attempted to take action and pull the man over, but the man, later identified as 31-year-old Graham L. Ley, evaded the officers by cutting across four lanes of traffic. A low-speed chase ensued as Ley rode onto a sidewalk, refusing to pull over.
YouTube link.
A second patrol car was deployed, stopping Ley and his scooter. After a short struggle, officers placed Ley under arrest and took him to the Lorain County Jail where he's being charged with resisting arrest, obstructing official business, disorderly conduct, criminal damage, and failure to comply. His chair was later picked up by LifeCare Ambulance.
Complaints had trickled in over the last few days after a man was spotted riding his mobility scooter on roads and into traffic, even keying vehicles as he went by.
On Monday, Elyria police attempted to take action and pull the man over, but the man, later identified as 31-year-old Graham L. Ley, evaded the officers by cutting across four lanes of traffic. A low-speed chase ensued as Ley rode onto a sidewalk, refusing to pull over.
YouTube link.
A second patrol car was deployed, stopping Ley and his scooter. After a short struggle, officers placed Ley under arrest and took him to the Lorain County Jail where he's being charged with resisting arrest, obstructing official business, disorderly conduct, criminal damage, and failure to comply. His chair was later picked up by LifeCare Ambulance.
Man arrested after stand-off involving banjo
A man from Vancouver, Washington, was taken into police custody after a stand-off that involved the suspect serenading officers with a banjo.
Officers were called on Sunday afternoon after reports of a naked man walking around with a knife. When they arrived at the man’s home, he refused to surrender.
Neighbours saw the man, identified by police as Andrew Helmsworth, yelling at officers, and said at one point, Helmsworth walked outside with a banjo, which he played for the officers.
Witnesses said the officers eventually subdued Helmsworth with what appeared to be a non-lethal round and took him into custody. According to police, the investigation revealed that Helmsworth had assaulted a family member. Helmsworth was arrested on a charge of felony assault and lodged at the Clark County Jail, police said.
With news video.
Officers were called on Sunday afternoon after reports of a naked man walking around with a knife. When they arrived at the man’s home, he refused to surrender.
Neighbours saw the man, identified by police as Andrew Helmsworth, yelling at officers, and said at one point, Helmsworth walked outside with a banjo, which he played for the officers.
Witnesses said the officers eventually subdued Helmsworth with what appeared to be a non-lethal round and took him into custody. According to police, the investigation revealed that Helmsworth had assaulted a family member. Helmsworth was arrested on a charge of felony assault and lodged at the Clark County Jail, police said.
With news video.
Police seek man who made off with $140,000 accidentally left behind by ATM employee
Police in New Jersey are looking for a man who took a bag containing $141,000 accidentally left behind by an employee of an ATM company.
Surveillance video shows the costly mistake made by the employees of ATMForUs.com in Mahwah. It shows a worker leaving his office on his way to replenish ATMs.
He was carrying the large sum of cash in a small, unmarked bag, police said. The video shows him setting down the satchel, walking around to the back of the car and then getting in and taking off without the bag, which was filled with $10 and $20 bills. “At some point, the person who was supposed to have the bag realised that it wasn’t in the car with him
"But at that point, he was seven miles away so he called back to the office to see if it was still at the kerbside where he had left it,” said Mahwah police Officer William Hunt. The video then shows the passenger of a white GMC Savana work van picking up the bag full of money up and driving away. Surveillance video shows that the van was picking up discarded tyres from another nearby business just minutes before, police said.
YouTube link.
“It was really just a stroke of luck, or misfortune, for them that this van happened to be driving by shortly after the money was left at the kerb,” Hunt said. Police say once the worker who left the money behind returned back to the building and realised what had happened, they needed to call an ambulance for him. Police are hoping whoever took the bag will return it. “Anytime you find property that’s discarded on the side of the road, it’s not just fair game for you to pick it up and say, ‘Well, you left it, I found it,'” Hunt said.
He was carrying the large sum of cash in a small, unmarked bag, police said. The video shows him setting down the satchel, walking around to the back of the car and then getting in and taking off without the bag, which was filled with $10 and $20 bills. “At some point, the person who was supposed to have the bag realised that it wasn’t in the car with him
"But at that point, he was seven miles away so he called back to the office to see if it was still at the kerbside where he had left it,” said Mahwah police Officer William Hunt. The video then shows the passenger of a white GMC Savana work van picking up the bag full of money up and driving away. Surveillance video shows that the van was picking up discarded tyres from another nearby business just minutes before, police said.
YouTube link.
“It was really just a stroke of luck, or misfortune, for them that this van happened to be driving by shortly after the money was left at the kerb,” Hunt said. Police say once the worker who left the money behind returned back to the building and realised what had happened, they needed to call an ambulance for him. Police are hoping whoever took the bag will return it. “Anytime you find property that’s discarded on the side of the road, it’s not just fair game for you to pick it up and say, ‘Well, you left it, I found it,'” Hunt said.
Sisters plan to file formal complaint after being stopped by police officer for cycling topless
Three sisters from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, are planning to file a formal complaint after they say they were stopped by a police officer for cycling topless.
Alysha Brilla and her two sisters Tameera and Nadia Mohamed took off their shirts while riding their bikes in downtown Kitchener on Friday evening because of the heat.
They say they received mostly positive reaction, until a police officer stopped them. "He said, 'Ladies, you need to put on some shirts,'" said Tameera Mohamed. "We said, 'No we don't ... it's our legal right in Ontario to be topless as women.'" The officer said there had been complaints, according to Tameera. She said the officer began backtracking once her sister, Alysha, began recording with her smartphone.
The officer then denied having pulled them over for riding topless, before letting them continue their ride, Tameera said. "We went on our way and went straight to the police station to report it," she said. Waterloo regional police acknowledge there was an incident involving three topless female cyclists and a police officer, but would not discuss the incident in detail. "We're doing an internal review on the situation," said Staff Sgt. Michael Haffner. "It is a current law that if a female chooses to go topless, that is their right."
The sisters say they plan to file a formal complaint with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director, which oversees public complaints against municipal and regional police services in Ontario as well as the Ontario Provincial Police. "When men take off their tops in public, it's clearly because it's a hot day and clearly it's for their comfort. Women should be given the same freedom," said Nadia Mohamed. "Even though legally we have that right, socially we clearly don't." The women are holding a rally in uptown Waterloo on Saturday to support the desexualising of women's bodies. Shirts will be optional.
They say they received mostly positive reaction, until a police officer stopped them. "He said, 'Ladies, you need to put on some shirts,'" said Tameera Mohamed. "We said, 'No we don't ... it's our legal right in Ontario to be topless as women.'" The officer said there had been complaints, according to Tameera. She said the officer began backtracking once her sister, Alysha, began recording with her smartphone.
The officer then denied having pulled them over for riding topless, before letting them continue their ride, Tameera said. "We went on our way and went straight to the police station to report it," she said. Waterloo regional police acknowledge there was an incident involving three topless female cyclists and a police officer, but would not discuss the incident in detail. "We're doing an internal review on the situation," said Staff Sgt. Michael Haffner. "It is a current law that if a female chooses to go topless, that is their right."
The sisters say they plan to file a formal complaint with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director, which oversees public complaints against municipal and regional police services in Ontario as well as the Ontario Provincial Police. "When men take off their tops in public, it's clearly because it's a hot day and clearly it's for their comfort. Women should be given the same freedom," said Nadia Mohamed. "Even though legally we have that right, socially we clearly don't." The women are holding a rally in uptown Waterloo on Saturday to support the desexualising of women's bodies. Shirts will be optional.
Campers forced to flee up trees to escape from rampaging bull at caravan park
A bull "acting aggressively" caused campers to climb up trees to seek safety as it rampaged through a caravan park in Australia's Northern Territory before being shot by police.
Police said the long-horned bull charged through the McArthur River campground in Borroloola, about 720 kilometres from Darwin, at around 6:00pm on Monday. "It was a bit of a danger to people at the caravan park," Duty Superintendent Brendan Muldoon said.
"I know there were 50 people at the park at this time, quite a few obviously saw it and called police to assist. Some people had to escape from the bull and hide up trees." Colin Coutts, the manager at the park, said when he learned of a commotion in the campground he went to investigate. "I jumped in the ute and went to try and hunt him out," he said. "He's gone over near a caravan and I've pulled up and got out.
"I went to shoo him and he turned around and had a go at me and put me up on the back of the ute." Mr Coutts said police were called and were trying to coax the bull back to where it came from when things turned for the worse. "It turned around and tried to attack the police car so they shot him," he said. Superintendent Muldoon said the animal was a "local bull" and owned by someone in the community.
There's an audio interview with Colin Coutts here.
Police said the long-horned bull charged through the McArthur River campground in Borroloola, about 720 kilometres from Darwin, at around 6:00pm on Monday. "It was a bit of a danger to people at the caravan park," Duty Superintendent Brendan Muldoon said.
"I know there were 50 people at the park at this time, quite a few obviously saw it and called police to assist. Some people had to escape from the bull and hide up trees." Colin Coutts, the manager at the park, said when he learned of a commotion in the campground he went to investigate. "I jumped in the ute and went to try and hunt him out," he said. "He's gone over near a caravan and I've pulled up and got out.
"I went to shoo him and he turned around and had a go at me and put me up on the back of the ute." Mr Coutts said police were called and were trying to coax the bull back to where it came from when things turned for the worse. "It turned around and tried to attack the police car so they shot him," he said. Superintendent Muldoon said the animal was a "local bull" and owned by someone in the community.
There's an audio interview with Colin Coutts here.
Policemen given bravery award for initiating 70mph head-on crash to stop dementia sufferer
Two police officers, who risked a head-on collision to prevent an elderly dementia sufferer from crashing into oncoming cars as he drove the wrong way on the motorway, have been honoured.
PCs Craig Graves and Steven Hudson have received a Chief Constable’s Commendation for bravery after safely stopping the man’s Honda Jazz as it travelled at 70mph towards them in August 2014, ensuring both the 77-year-old and other road users remained uninjured.
The elderly man had been reported missing and police had received numerous calls after his car was spotted travelling southwards on the northbound carriageway of the M6 Toll, near Sutton Coldfield. Traffic officers PCs Graves and Hudson were asked to put on a rolling road block to slow down vehicles coming towards the Honda and create space for motorway police to catch up with the car. However, the Honda outran the officers and continued to travel at speed towards the road block.
Dashcam footage shows how the pair, on spotting the Honda approaching, positioned their car to prevent it reaching the cars behind them, forcing the Honda into the central reservation. PC Hudson suffered with bruising and whiplash for more than a week after the collision. Chief Constable Chris Sims presented PCs Graves and Hudson with their commendations at an awards ceremony. They were nominated by their sergeant, Paul Talbot, for their “outstanding display of serving the public and protecting them from harm”.
YouTube link.
On receiving his award, PC Graves said: “I thought the driver of the Honda would see our lights and slow to a stop, but he didn’t and just kept coming towards us. I turned slightly to the left in order to make contact while lessening the sudden impact, forcing the vehicle into the central reservation. Fortunately this worked but contrary to what I said on the in-car video, there was considerable damage to our vehicle. The vehicle directly behind us, which would have been in the path of the Honda, contained a dad and his three young children, so it was very fortunate the end result was successful and nobody was seriously injured. I believe we were just doing our job.”
The elderly man had been reported missing and police had received numerous calls after his car was spotted travelling southwards on the northbound carriageway of the M6 Toll, near Sutton Coldfield. Traffic officers PCs Graves and Hudson were asked to put on a rolling road block to slow down vehicles coming towards the Honda and create space for motorway police to catch up with the car. However, the Honda outran the officers and continued to travel at speed towards the road block.
Dashcam footage shows how the pair, on spotting the Honda approaching, positioned their car to prevent it reaching the cars behind them, forcing the Honda into the central reservation. PC Hudson suffered with bruising and whiplash for more than a week after the collision. Chief Constable Chris Sims presented PCs Graves and Hudson with their commendations at an awards ceremony. They were nominated by their sergeant, Paul Talbot, for their “outstanding display of serving the public and protecting them from harm”.
YouTube link.
On receiving his award, PC Graves said: “I thought the driver of the Honda would see our lights and slow to a stop, but he didn’t and just kept coming towards us. I turned slightly to the left in order to make contact while lessening the sudden impact, forcing the vehicle into the central reservation. Fortunately this worked but contrary to what I said on the in-car video, there was considerable damage to our vehicle. The vehicle directly behind us, which would have been in the path of the Honda, contained a dad and his three young children, so it was very fortunate the end result was successful and nobody was seriously injured. I believe we were just doing our job.”
English drug dealer refused to appear in Welsh court because he can't understand the accent
A drug dealer from the West Midlands has refused to appear in court in Wales because he can’t understand what anyone says.
Dwaine Campbell, 25, was arrested in Aberystwyth delivering 51 wraps of heroin. Campbell, from Wolverhampton, was kept in custody in Wales for seven days before being transferred to a prison near his home.
His barrister, Janet Gedrych, said he complained that he couldn’t understand what anyone in Aberystwyth said and they struggled to understand his accent. “He is worried that if he is sentenced here he will end up in a jail in Wales and have the same difficulties,” she said.
Campbell has admitted possessing heroin with intent to supply. He was due to be sentenced at Swansea Crown Court but refused to leave his prison cell. Judge Heywood said he would sentence Campbell via a video link “so he can stay in the West Midlands.” Campbell will now be sentenced next month.
Dwaine Campbell, 25, was arrested in Aberystwyth delivering 51 wraps of heroin. Campbell, from Wolverhampton, was kept in custody in Wales for seven days before being transferred to a prison near his home.
His barrister, Janet Gedrych, said he complained that he couldn’t understand what anyone in Aberystwyth said and they struggled to understand his accent. “He is worried that if he is sentenced here he will end up in a jail in Wales and have the same difficulties,” she said.
Campbell has admitted possessing heroin with intent to supply. He was due to be sentenced at Swansea Crown Court but refused to leave his prison cell. Judge Heywood said he would sentence Campbell via a video link “so he can stay in the West Midlands.” Campbell will now be sentenced next month.
Stoat took on three rooks to protect young kits
A stoat has been caught on camera taking on three rooks in a fight at a wildlife centre near Plymouth, Devon.
The tiny mammal was seen repeatedly fighting off the huge, bemused birds at Wembury Marine Centre.
It bravely confronted them time and again, even leaping from the ground at points in a bid to get to the much larger animals. Although it looks like the stoat is attacking the birds experts say it most probably displaying defensive behaviour. A spokesman for Devon Wildlife Trust said: "Stoats on the south Devon coast will prey on small mammals mostly, rabbits and smaller rodent species.
"Although they do also sometimes prey on birds it's unlikely a stoat would go for a rook, never mind three of them. Stoats tend to use areas of thick vegetation as cover for hunting too, rather than the open area of this road. So it looks like this is defensive behaviour. Those areas covered in thick vegetation are ideal habitat for small mammals and probably contain this stoat's den.
YouTube link.
"As it takes up to 10 months following mating in early summer for stoat kits to be born, then up to 12 weeks when the young are fed by their mother, the timing of this video is the sort of time the young stoats will be ready to go out hunting with the adults for the first time. This stoat is probably trying to chase the rooks away from the area where its young are about to emerge from their den."
It bravely confronted them time and again, even leaping from the ground at points in a bid to get to the much larger animals. Although it looks like the stoat is attacking the birds experts say it most probably displaying defensive behaviour. A spokesman for Devon Wildlife Trust said: "Stoats on the south Devon coast will prey on small mammals mostly, rabbits and smaller rodent species.
"Although they do also sometimes prey on birds it's unlikely a stoat would go for a rook, never mind three of them. Stoats tend to use areas of thick vegetation as cover for hunting too, rather than the open area of this road. So it looks like this is defensive behaviour. Those areas covered in thick vegetation are ideal habitat for small mammals and probably contain this stoat's den.
YouTube link.
"As it takes up to 10 months following mating in early summer for stoat kits to be born, then up to 12 weeks when the young are fed by their mother, the timing of this video is the sort of time the young stoats will be ready to go out hunting with the adults for the first time. This stoat is probably trying to chase the rooks away from the area where its young are about to emerge from their den."
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